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Work it Wednesday: Tabata Time!

Welcome to my Work it Wednesday: Tabata Time! <— click here for live video demonstration. Tabata is a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) technique that allows maximum fat burn in a short amount of time! Get ready to make your fat cry (aka sweat)!

Find yourself a tabata timer on your iphone , android, or use a good ol’fashioned stop watch/timer. You will work for 20 seconds then rest for 10. Repeat 8 times for a total of 4 minutes of work! Try to do as many reps as you can (keeping good form) during each 20 seconds. After your 8th round you can give yourself 1-2 minutes rest. Don’t forget a towel for your sweat and water to keep yourself hydrated.

Make sure you take at least 5 minutes to actively warm up by walking, jump rope, walking the stairs or breaking a move in the living room to your favorite LMFAO’s ‘I’m sexy and I know it’ song!

Round 1

Pendulum lunges*: Standing on your left leg take your right leg back (a) into a deep lunge (exhale) then push-off the right leg (inhale) and swing it all the way past your standing leg to a lunge (b) in front (exhale). Keep those knees over the ankles and keep the belly button pulled up and toward the spine. *Make sure and switch the standing leg for each new round of lunges.

Push-Ups: Starting in plank (or kneeling plank) engage your core and lower you body as far down to the ground as you can while you inhale. Exhale and push yourself back up to plank (or kneeling plank). It’s only 20 seconds…how many can you do?

Tic-Tock Oblique: Stand with legs slightly wider than hip width and hands up by your ears and elbows out (a). Exhaling, draw your right knee up towards the right armpit and the right elbow down to the right ankle (if they don’t quite reach, that’s ok, just keep reaching) inhale and release the leg back to the floor then alternate sides.

Toe-Touches: Stand with legs slightly wider than hip width and arms coming straight out of your shoulders(a). Exhale as you kick your right leg up to hip height (or as high as you can go) and touch the toes with your fingers(b). Inhale and release leg back to ground and switch sides. Each time the leg comes up really squeeze that belly button to the back of the spine.

Hollow Man: Lie on the floor on you back, palms facing up. When the timer starts, exhale and lift your head (and shoulders if you can) off the floor, chin to chest pulling the belly button through to the floor (like someone took an ice cream scooper and hollowed out your stomach) and hold. Extra Credit: lift your legs off the floor too! It’s only 20 seconds…you can do ANYTHING for 20 seconds!

Plank: Get yourself in push-up position on your hands or forearms creating a straight line, from the crown of you head all the way out your heels, belly lifted up and in and hold! Don’t forget to breathe!

Alternate between Hollowman and Plank until you’ve done 8 rounds.

1 minute rest

Round 4

Burpee: Start in a standing position(1). When the timer starts inhale reaching the arms up to the sky, exhale as you squat down placing you palms on the floor in front of you feet(2). Using the same exhale, jump or step your feet back into a plank position(3). Inhale and jump or walk your feet back to squatting position (2) and using the same inhale press your heels into the earth and stand back up and reach for the sky. Repeat.

Wall Sit: Find a wall and press your back against it squeezing the belly button back to create a flat back. Walking your feet, hip width, two to three feet away from the wall. When the timer starts slide down the wall until your legs create 90 degree angle and hold. Don’t forget to breathe.

Alternate between Burpee’s and Wall sit until you’ve done 8 rounds.

Congrats you just completed a quick 16 minute workout. Do it twice for 30 minutes, 3x for 45 min or 4x for a full hour! Remember to cool down and stretch! End in Shavasana (aka corspes pose) for 5-10 minutes to really allow the exercises to set in and the body to reset itself. Follow with a brief meditation about how great you are (c’mon…if you just did this workout…you ROCK! Pat yourself on the back…literally). Don’t forget to be grateful for you body for being able to move!